Liquid metal experiments on the helical magnetorotational instability

TL;DR

This paper reports on liquid metal experiments demonstrating the helical magnetorotational instability (MRI), highlighting improved experimental techniques to better observe MRI features relevant to astrophysical accretion discs.

Contribution

The study provides experimental evidence of MRI in liquid metals with improved setup using split end caps to reduce Ekman pumping effects.

Findings

Observed MRI features at Reynolds ~1000 and Hartmann ~10

Improved experimental setup minimizes Ekman pumping

Demonstrated MRI-driven turbulence in liquid metal flows

Abstract

The magnetorotational instability (MRI) plays an essential role in the formation of stars and black holes. By destabilizing hydrodynamically stable Keplerian flows, the MRI triggers turbulence and enables outward transport of angular momentum in accretion discs. We present the results of a liquid metal Taylor-Couette experiment under the influence of helical magnetic fields that show typical features of MRI at Reynolds numbers of the order 1000 and Hartmann numbers of the order 10. Particular focus is laid on an improved experiment in which split end caps are used to minimize the Ekman pumping.